bottom line, though, is that no practical joke would have been funny to everybody. No time would have been the right time for everybody. No subject would have been non-upsetting to everybody.

Practical jokes are a lot like surprises: some people like them, and some people don't. And no matter what, the people who don't like them wont like them. The thing about A F D is, though, that everybody has fair warning. When you roll out of bed on April 1st... You should know by now that the pranksters of the world are active.

No matter what we did there was bound to be some % of you guys who didnt like it... We couldn't prevent that...

You should know, by now, to take everything with a grain of salt, or avoid the world, or check the toilet for plastic wrap.

A F D is the day that people play pranks. And if one pushes you a little too far... Well.. Just assume it was unintentional and wait for midnight...

While that may be true....

It wouldn't hurt the mods to give a simple apology to those who were personally insulted by it.... instead of make fun of them further.

I think THAT is the real issue here. not the joke but the continued poking at those who were insulted by it.

__________________

Quote:

“Meaninglessness does not come from being weary of pain. Meaninglessness comes from being weary of pleasure.”

G.K. Chesterton

“Family fun is as necessary to modern living as a kitchen refrigerator.” – Walt Disney

Edit: I have to say I agree with Sparks. I thought the initial joke was funny, but I feel that some are being callous towards those who got their feelings hurt. Some people don't have such a thick skin!

You should know, by now, to take everything with a grain of salt, or avoid the world, or check the toilet for plastic wrap.

like i said, the joke itself isnt the issue. It is what you are saying right here that is.

You dont know me well enough to know that I do not hide myself from the world, nor do I ever speak up when someone is saying something that is hurtful...when i know it is meant to be funny? Why, cause i actually do have a pretty good sense of humor...i just happen to not think making fun of people is that funny (ok, i am totally fine with making fun of celebrities and the what not ). I suffer from depression and anxiety...something that NONE of my friends know about, cause i am too embarrassed to tell them. Since this is an internet forum, i dont really care as much to tell you guys this.
'
I just wanted people to be aware that sometimes 'taking it with a grain of salt' isnt as easy as it sounds. Everyday I fight with myself to stop taking dumb crap personally. Like if a random person looks at me funny, i immediately assume that they think what i am wearing is hideous, or my hair is messed up, or i have a giant booger hanging out of my nose!! I have to talk myself through all the reasons why none of those things are probably true, and seeing as i look at people all the time without even thinking much about them...they are prob just doing the same to me.

You know, while the concept was exceedingly clever, the reality is that this "joke" did cause hurt to a number of people. The subject matter wasn't carefully considered beforehand, I think .. it could have been a GREAT joke if it had been, perhaps, a declaration of love or something equally silly. But given the broad range of personalities and beliefs on a forum like this, the post was in extremely poor taste.

I feel for those who were hurt by this .. those who have recently lost pets and yet felt singled out by an apparent attack on the pets that have just died .. those who have ill or injured animals and are very fresh to pain ... those who just plain had a bad day. A joke is fine, but it SHOULD be something that all parties can laugh at easily .. if it isn't, then it's a cruel joke.

And, of course, there are always those who (in a very "superior" way), make fun of the ones who aren't amused. They say things like "lighten up!" .. "it was JUST a JOKE" .. and insinuate that those who don't find it as funny as they do are just plain missing a sense of humor. Those kind of comments simply reflect on a person's lack of kindness and compassion to me.

For the record - I saw this thread shortly after it was posted. Of course, I read it (who wouldn't, when your name is in the subject line?? *LOL*). I laughed at it before I knew it was a joke .. I'm not concerned at all about what people think of my training or feeding, because I live with the daily success of it. And seeing a couple of posts in response, it was obvious it was a joke and I didn't respond. But in coming back to this and reading through the anger and pain others felt, I don't find that in the least amusing. How can anyone be amused by another's pain?? That's just not right to me.

So .. clever trick .. poor choice of topic .. maybe next time people (especially mods) will think before they post something that can create anger and pain for so many.

Just my opinion, of course!

Melanie and the gang in Alaska
.. the most perfectly trained, best fed dogs in the WORLD, of course .. *L*

I agree. Why someone would write something that they know is intended to inspire pain in those reading it, and then sit there and laugh at them because they know it's just a joke, is beyond me. To have some people be genuinely hurt by this, and have those responsible say they've just been sitting there laughing at their expense is just awful. To them, it isn't funny, and telling them to just laugh it off is rude.

I saw it before anyone had posted, clicked to read because someone talking about me made no sense, and after reading the post realized there was no way it was directed at me. Deleting posts that had ruined it, just so those in on the "joke" could sit and laugh all day wasn't the best of ideas either.

I still have yet to find the part that's so funny about it. It was an extremely poor taste of joke. And it was in even poorer taste for moderators to sit and laugh at those not finding it funny, and tell them to just laugh it off along with them. Finding humor in other's pain. Very classy.

Oh well. I'm going to be told to "just laugh it off" like everyone else, but I still fail to see the humor here.

I thought that I'd said before that we never intended for anybody specific to be hurt by the joke. We knew some ***37; would, but it was entirely impossible to predict which %. So apologies to those. However. I still reserve the right to find funny whatever I want to find funny.

__________________
When I was 20 I cared what people though thought of me. When I was 40 I didn't care what people thought of me, now that I'm 60 I realize nobody thinks of me.

I thought that I'd said before that we never intended for anybody specific to be hurt by the joke. We knew some % would, but it was entirely impossible to predict which %. So apologies to those. However. I still reserve the right to find funny whatever I want to find funny.

OK the joke is one thing....

But do you find it funny to sit back and laugh at those who were hurt? to poke fun at them after for being hurt by it? to me... THAT is the most inappropriate part. So yes... the joke might have offended some... that was expected. But to sit there and tell them they are ridiculous for being upset is uncalled for.... there should have been a quick apology offered to those that were hurt... especially since mods were behind it, instead of further poking fun at their hurt feelings.

That is the difference... IMO

__________________

Quote:

“Meaninglessness does not come from being weary of pain. Meaninglessness comes from being weary of pleasure.”

G.K. Chesterton

“Family fun is as necessary to modern living as a kitchen refrigerator.” – Walt Disney